Lot #143: Hirohito Emperor of Japan by Leonard Mosley

How could Hirohito, single-handed-ly, have ended World War II? Did he know that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked? What facts show that he knew the war was lost only months after it began? Hirohito was dominated by a military power clique bent on conquest who in the 1930's virtually seized control of Japan. While the Japanese military excused or justified their acts in the name of this "divine Emperor," Hirohito was rarely consulted, and it was not until 1945 that he finally stopped the war. Why did he remain silent? What was this man really like? In this intimate biography of Hiro-hito, Emperor of Japan, Leonard Mosley answers these and other provocative questions, and clearly defines the role of Hirohito in World War II which ultimately changed the course of world history. It probes the full story of how Japan's declaration of war was bungled; how Roosevelt's telegram was lost; and how the Japanese code was used by the United States in the last hours of peace. It provides a look at the be-hind-the-scenes politics and decisions leading to Pearl Harbor; an insight into General MacArthur's meeting and his relationship with the Em-peror. It is also a revealing study of the Japanese people before, during and after the war. But more than an incisive revelation of Hirohito's role in history, this book explores his life as a boy, as a young man, and finally as the Emperor who watched as the world plunged into the holocaust of a global war. Measurements: 6x2x10 Pickup category timeslot {A}